episodes were filmed, Lowe later joined the show as a regular cast member. Lowe said he loved playing the part, which he described as "a big fat nerd" and "the most positive person in the world [with] unrelenting enthusiasm", adding, "He is also very, very intense and specific. So whether he's ordering how he would like his water or describing the kind of colors he wants on a graph, everything means the world to him." Throughout the episode, whenever he meets someone new, Chris Traeger points directly at their face and slowly repeats their name. Schur said this habit was the first element the writers conceived for the character. In one line of the episode, while describing his exercise regimen and supplements, "Scientists believe that the first human being who will live 150 years has already been born. I believe I am that human being." That line was inspired by Schur's wife, J. J. Philbin, who had recently read an article about that scientific prediction and felt it applied to the character. Parks and Recreation was suffering in the Nielsen ratings when "The Master Plan" aired, and it was hoped Lowe's appearance would help increase viewership. Lowe's performance was heavily publicized in advance of the episode's original broadcast. "The Master Plan" featured several other guest appearances. Ben Schwartz returned to his recurring role as Tom's fast-talking friend, Jean-Ralphio. Natalie Morales, best known for her role in the ABC Family science-fiction dramedy The Middleman, made her first Parks and Recreation appearance in the episode as Lucy, a Pawnee bartender and romantic interest for Tom. The scene between Lucy and Tom at the Snakehole Lounge was the same scene Natalie Morales read during her audition for the part, although the dialogue was rewritten slightly before filming. The line with Lucy asking Tom if he flirted with so many women because he was expected to have a "43-way" was added during the rewrite. Ralph Richeson, best known for playing the unkempt hotel employee Richardson in the HBO drama series Deadwood, briefly appeared as an unkempt man seeking a marriage license in the Pawnee town hall. Richeson is credited as "Ghoulish Man" in the episode's end credits. April Marie Eden, who played beauty contest winner Trish Ianetta in the episode "Beauty Pageant", reprised that role in "The Master Plan", in scenes where Tom flirted with her relentlessly at the Snakehole Lounge. Alison Becker, who